Meatballs

[gbhunter]

I was making regular meatballs, 2 inch diameter. the recipe called to boil them for 15 mins. in beef broth. I boiled them for 40 mins then took them out, when i cut them they were pinkish inside. Is this normal? P.S. They were browned before being boiled.

[MarkV]

Doesn't sound normal to me. Browning and then boiling that size meatball for 40 minutes should certianly not leave you with any pink.

Nevertheless, what's more crucial is the temperature, rather than the color. I would have inserted a thermometer into the center of one of the meatballs and used that as my guide.

Mark

[Suzanne]

What other ingredients were mixed with the meat?

[Chowderhead]

Must have been something else in the mix, I agree, 40 minutes boiling a 2 inch meatball is definitely going to cook it all the way through.
Bigger question in my mind is, why boil them in the first place?
If you're looking for a tenderizing step, I'd recommend searing them first, and then slow cooking in a dutch oven.

[MarkV]

Chowderhead:

I totally agree. Boliling will do noting but leech flavor. Brown them and then finish in a dutch oven or the regular oven.

Mark

[Pete]

When I make my meatballs, I brown them first then finish them in marinara sauce. As for the insides staying pink, that happens to me me often if I am using a recipe rather high in salt.